The invention relates to an industrial drain line filter system which removes food particles and the like from the drain line's associated water flow, and in particular, to a housing having a self-contained filter and horizontal trap system which can accommodate the water flow of several drain lines.
Filter systems are incorporated within drain lines to filter out food particles and the like from the drain line and prevent them from clogging. Sink drain filters have been used in residential settings. U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,351 illustrates a sink filter system which is incorporated into a residential drain line between the sink drain and the drain trap. This filter utilizes the drain trap already existing within the drain line and lies in the path of the water flowing through the drain line. Consequently, this filter has limited capacity and is designed only for use with one drain line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,406 illustrates another residential sink filter system incorporated into a residential drain line below the sink drain. This filter lies in the path of the water flowing through the drain line and includes a vertical trap which is attached to horizontal plumbing normally connected to a drain trap. This filter is designed only for use with one drain line and has limited capacity.
Both of the aforementioned patents require horizontal plumbing in ordor to provide a sufficient trap means. The requirement of horizontal plumbing limits the placement of the filter and consequently its possible effectiveness.
In an industrial setting, such as a restaurant, drains are in continuous use and a clogged drain results in loss downtime and repair bills. Thus it is advantageous to have drain filters which prevent the drains from clogging. However, in an industrial setting with multiple sinks, the use of a single filter with each sink drain is very expensive and increased plumbing associated with each drain line.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a filter system which can effectively remove food particles and the like from industrial drain lines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a single filter system which can effectively remove food particles and the like from multiple industrial drain lines.
Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a filter system having a self-contained odor trap resulting in minimal space requirements for the installation of the filter system.
Additionally, an object of the present invention is to provide a filter system having a self-contained odor trap enabling the placement of the filter system anywhere along the drain line.
Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a single filter system having a trap system incorporated within the single filter which will enable multiple industrial drain lines to be utilized with the filter and hence reduce the amount of plumbing required to be used with the multiple industrial drain lines.